Angular Guide Plate and System for Fastening Rails for Vehicles

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an angular guide plate ( 4 ) and to a system for fastening rails for rail vehicles, which angular guide plate ( 4 ) and system are equipped with a supporting surface ( 13 ) via which the angular guide plate ( 4 ) is positioned on a solid foundation in its assembly position, in particular in a system in which a spring element ( 6 ) for applying the required holding force to the rail ( 2 ) is supported on the angular guide plate ( 4 ) in the assembly position. The angular guide plate ( 4 ) according to the invention allows the abrasive wear of angular guide plate ( 4 ) or foundation ( 3 ) that occurs in the prior art to be minimised. This is achieved in that the supporting surface ( 13 ) is overlaid at least in certain sections with a resilient layer ( 5 ).

The invention relates to an angular guide plate for fastening rails forrail vehicles, which angular guide plate is equipped with a supportingsurface via which the angular guide plate is positioned on a solidfoundation in its assembly position. The invention also relates to asystem for fastening a rail for rail vehicles, comprising an angularguide plate which can be positioned with a supporting surface on afoundation, and on which angular guide plate a spring element forapplying the required holding force to the rails is supported in theassembly position. Angular guide plates and fastening systems of thistype are known in many variations (see for example URL Error! Referencesource not found. or DE-AS 1 954 008, EP 0 231 304 B1 and DE 33 34 119A1).

The purpose of the angular guide plates lies in supporting the springelement, which exerts the required resilient holding force on the railfoot, in the fully assembled state. At the same time the angular guideplate provides a lateral support for the rail foot via which the rail isheld in the respectively prescribed longitudinal alignment. This rendersa firm, exactly aligned seat of the angular guide plate on therespective foundation necessary.

The known angular guide plates and the fastening systems equippedtherewith have been tried and tested in operation. However, undercertain operating conditions increased wear in the region of thesupporting surface, with which the angular face is supported on thefoundation supporting the rail with fastening system as a whole, hasbeen found. This wear manifests itself in material removal from thesupporting surface of the angular plate and/or the support area of thefoundation on which the angular plate rests.

Particles, which pass between the supporting surface of the angularguide plate and the support area of the foundation, have been determinedas the cause of the increased wear. This wear phenomenon occurs in aparticularly dramatic manner in fastening systems in which the rails arefastened to concrete sleepers and which are used in regions where highlevels of dust are produced as well as possible sand drifts, etc.

The object of the invention therefore consisted in providing an angularguide plate in which the risk of abrasive wear in the region of itssupporting surface is minimised. The intention was also to provide asystem for fastening rails in which, with simple means, the risk ofabrasive wear occurring in the region of the angular guide plate isreduced to a minimum even under unfavourable operating conditions.

With respect to an angular guide plate for fastening rails for railvehicles, which angular guide plate is equipped with a supportingsurface via which the angular guide plate is positioned on a solidfoundation in its assembly position, this object is achieved in that thesupporting surface is overlaid at least in certain sections with aresilient layer.

In the region of its supporting surface an angular guide plate accordingto the invention comprises a resilient layer via which it rests in itsassembly position on the support area of the foundation bearing theangular guide plate. This resilient layer prevents gaping of a gapbetween the supporting surface of the angular guide plate and thesupport area of the foundation even if when the rails are driven overthe angular guide plate is moved, owing to the weight of the railvehicle and the dynamic movements associated therewith of the rails, inthe horizontal or vertical direction relative to the foundation.

Surprisingly it has been found that the penetration of particles intothe critical region between angular guide plate and substrate may thusbe durably prevented. Furthermore, the resilient layer damps the effectof such particles which, despite the seal created by the invention, passinto the region between angular guide plate and foundation. As a resultthe invention thus minimises the abrasive wear of angular guide plate orfoundation that occurs in the prior art.

In a system for fastening a rail for rail vehicles, which system isequipped with an angular guide plate which can be positioned with asupporting surface on a foundation and on which a spring element forapplying the required holding force to the rail is supported in theassembly position, said object is correspondingly achieved therefore inthat the system comprises a resilient layer for insertion between thesupporting surface of the angular guide plate and the solid foundation.

Practical tests have shown that with a rail fastening system constructedin this way the resilient layer between angular guide plate andfoundation does not have an adverse effect on the retention of the railor the security and accuracy of the fastening, but instead makes onlypositive contributions to the life of the fastening system constructedin such a manner according to the invention. Since the purpose of theresilient layer consists only in sealing a gap that may potentiallyoccur between angular guide plate and foundation during operation, theresilient layer should be configured in such a way that in the assemblyposition it largely does not influence the flexibility of the fasteningsystem in which it is respectively used.

As a function of the respectively processed material, it is thereforesufficient, as a rule, if a thin resilient layer is used, of which thethickness is much less than the thickness of the angular guide plate inthe region of the supporting surface. The thickness of the resilientlayer can thus be limited for example to at most 10% of the averagethickness of the angular guide plate in the region of the supportingsurface.

As a result of the fact that the resilient layer does not have a springfunction it is, moreover, preferably configured in such a way that it iscompressed as much as possible by the assembly forces acting on theangular guide plate in its assembly position. A particularly good effectof the resilient layer thus results if it is completely, or at leastalmost completely, compressed when the angular guide plate is fullyassembled.

As a rule it is sufficient if, in the regions in which gaps may formbetween the support area and the supporting surface during practicaloperation, the supporting surface of the angular guide plate is overlaidby the resilient layer. It is thus conceivable for example to overlayonly the edge regions of the supporting surface that are critical inthis regard with a thin resilient strip which then constitutes theresilient layer. Particularly reliable transfer of the forces acting onthe angular guide plate during assembly and operation may be achievedhowever, if the resilient layer covers the supporting surface all-over.

All materials, of which the elasticity is retained even after arelatively long compression, are suitable as material for the resilientlayer. As a result the resilient layer is preferably made of apolyurethane, a rubber or any other elastomer material. These materialsare inexpensive to obtain and stretch sufficiently quickly, even in theevent of a gap forming for a short time between angular guide plate andfoundation, to prevent penetration of particles, such as dust or sand,into the critical regions.

To facilitate assembly of the angular guide plate according to theinvention the resilient layer may be permanently connected to theangular guide plate. This can be achieved for example by suitable mouldparts, etc. which hold the resilient layer positively and/ornon-positively on the angular guide plate. It has proven to beparticularly expedient, however, if the resilient layer is connected tothe supporting surface of the angular guide plate with integral fit, forexample by gluing or vulcanising. This type of integral connectionbetween resilient layer and angular guide plate also prevents particlesfrom passing into the region between the resilient layer and thesupporting surface and causing wear at this point.

The invention may be used particularly effectively in systems in whichthe rails are fastened to a sleeper which forms the solid foundation forthe angular guide plate. This applies in particular if the sleeper ismade from a concrete material. It is precisely in the case of concretesleepers, or sleepers produced from comparable materials that areparticularly sensitive to abrasive wear, that the advantages achieved byarrangement according to the invention of a resilient layer betweenangular guide plate and sleeper are demonstrated.

The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter withreference to drawings that illustrate an embodiment. In the drawings,schematically in each case:

FIG. 1 shows in longitudinal section a system for fastening a rail for arail vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows an angular guide plate in a view from below.

The system 1 is used for fastening a rail 2, of which only the edge ofthe rail foot facing the system 1 is shown in FIG. 1. It comprises aconcrete sleeper 3, an angular guide plate 4, a resilient layer 5, as aspring element for production of the required holding force a tighteningclip 6, and a tightening screw 7 for tightening the tightening clip 6.

The concrete sleeper 3 comprises a level support area 8 in which, in theregion of its lateral end, a channel 9 is formed. The lateral endregion, adjoining the channel 9, of the support area 8 forms the regionon which the angular guide plate 4 rests in the assembly position. Anindentation, in which a plastics material pin 10 for the tighteningscrew 7 sits, is formed in a central position in this end region.

At its upper side the angular guide plate 4, which is shaped in a mannerknown per se, has mould parts 11 which guide the tightening clip 6 inits assembly position and ensure reliable transfer of the holding forcesto the foot of the rail 2. Starting from its upper side, athrough-aperture 12 is also formed in the angular guide plate 4, throughwhich through-aperture 12 the tightening screw 7 for tightening thetightening clip 6 is guided during assembly in a manner that is likewisealready known per se, in order to screw the tightening screw 7 into theplastics material pin 10 of the sleeper 3.

Formed at the lower side of the angular guide plate 4 is a levelsupporting surface 13 which in the assembly position is limited at itsedge facing away from the rail 2 by an bulge 14 extending along thisedge. The bulge 14 also carries projections 15, of which thecross-sectional shape is adapted to the cross-section of the channel 9.

Glued to the supporting surface 13 is the thin resilient layer 5 whichcovers the supporting surface 13 all-over, while leaving thethrough-aperture 12 and recesses 16 free. The recesses 16 are formed inthe supporting surface 13 at the edge associated with the rail 2 in theassembly position.

The resilient layer 5 is made of a fine porous, highly resilientpolyurethane foam, of which the elasticity is such that it immediatelyautomatically slackens and stretches to the initial thickness of theresilient layer 5 again even in the event of a load alleviation thatsuddenly occurs after relatively long complete compression. Thisstarting thickness is at most 8% of the average thickness of the angularguide plate 4 in the region of its supporting surface 13.

To assemble the system 1 the angular guide plate 4 is placed on thesupport area 8 in such a way that the projections 15 formed on the lowerside of the angular guide plate 4 positively grip in the channel 9 andthus secure the angular guide plate 4 against a displacement in thelongitudinal direction of the sleeper 3. The supporting surface 13 restson the end region of the support area 8 above the resilient layer 5 insuch a way that the through-aperture 12 of the angular guide plate 4 isaligned with the pin 10 of the sleeper 3.

The tightening clip 6 that is conventionally constructed in a W-shape issubsequently positioned on the angular guide plate 4 in such a way thatits holding arms 17 rest with their free ends on the foot of the rail 2.By screwing the tightening screw 7 into the pin 10 the tightening clip 6is fixed until the required resilient holding force is exerted on thefoot of the rail 2.

During the course of tightening of the tightening clip 6 the resilientlayer is completely compressed to the extent that its elasticity nolonger has an effect on the overall elasticity of the system 1. If,owing to the movements in the system 1 that occur when a rail vehicle(not shown) travels over the rail 2, the angular guide plate 4 is raisedfrom the support area of the concrete sleeper 3, the resilient layer 5stretches and fills the gap forming in this case between the supportarea 8 and the supporting surface 13 of the angular guide plate 4. Thisprevents particles from getting between the angular guide plate 4 andthe concrete sleeper 3 and causing abrasive wear at this point.

Owing to the seal according to the invention thus achieved by theresilient layer 5 between the angular guide plate 4 and the concretesleeper 3, a system 1 according to the invention is particularlysuitable for fastening rails 2 in dry regions in which a rail bodyequipped with rails 2 and systems 1 is exposed to severe sand or dustdrifts.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 system for fastening a rail 2-   2 rail, of which only the rail foot is shown in FIG. 1-   3 concrete sleeper-   4 angular guide plate-   5 resilient layer-   6 tightening clip-   7 tightening screw-   8 support area-   9 channel-   10 plastics material pin-   11 mould parts which guide the tightening clip 6 in its assembly    position-   12 through-aperture-   13 supporting surface-   14 bulge-   15 projections-   16 recesses-   17 holding arms of the tightening clip 6

1. Angular guide plate for fastening rails (2) for rail vehicles, whichangular guide plate is equipped with a supporting surface (13) via whichthe angular guide plate (4) is positioned on a solid foundation in itsassembly position, wherein in that the supporting surface (13) isoverlaid at least in certain sections with a resilient layer (5). 2.Angular guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of theresilient layer (5) is at most 10% of the average thickness of theangular guide plate (4) in the region of the supporting surface (13). 3.Angular guide plate according to either of the preceding claims, whereinthe resilient layer (5) is substantially completely compressed by theassembly forces acting on the angular guide plate (4) in its assemblyposition.
 4. Angular guide plate according to claim 1, wherein theresilient layer (5) covers the supporting surface (13) all-over. 5.Angular guide plate according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein the resilient layer (5) is made of a polyurethane, a rubber orother elastomer material.
 6. Angular guide plate according to claim 1,wherein the resilient layer (5) is integrally connected to thesupporting surface (13) of the angular guide plate (4).
 7. System forfastening a rail (2) for rail vehicles, comprising an angular guideplate (4) which can be positioned with a supporting surface (13) on afoundation, and on which a spring element for applying the requiredholding force to the rail (2) is supported in the assembly position,wherein a resilient layer (5) for insertion between the supportingsurface (13) of the angular guide plate (4) and the solid foundation. 8.System according to claim 7, wherein the elasticity of the resilientlayer (5) is coordinated in such a way that the resilient layer (5) issubstantially completely compressed when the system (1) is fullyassembled.
 9. System according to either claim 7, wherein it comprises asleeper (8) which forms the solid foundation for the angular guide plate(4).
 10. System according to claim 9, wherein the sleeper (8) is madefrom a concrete material.
 11. Use of an angular guide plate (4)constructed according to claim 1, in a system (1) constructed accordingto claim 7.